Marking a Decade in Nature Inclusion – SEM 10 Year Anniversary Celebration.

On July 6th, 2026, the Sheffield Environmental Movement (SEM) welcomed 70 people from the diverse Global Majority communities in Sheffield that it works with to celebrate its 10 Year Anniversary which had as its theme, “Marking A Decade In Nature Inclusion”. SEM is one of the few minoritised environmental charities in the UK working to reimagine our shared heritage of the natural environment.

SEM was founded in 2016 on the basic principle that access to nature is fundamental to human health and wellbeing, however a section of our society are not benefitting from a term coined by our CEO Dr Maxwell Ayamba BEM, “Our Natural Health Service” which is now being used widely nationally. As Dr Ayamba further indicated, SEM further aimed to challenge the misconception of how we think about nature and environmental conservation in the UK and how people from the Global Majority can be part of the environmental movement with the view to help make difference in nature recovery and climate resilience.

So far thousands of people from minoritised communities have benefited from this intervention, visiting natural spaces that they didn’t know existed or how to access. For the past 10 years SEM has served over 10,000 people from minoritised communities to benefit from environmental/heritage activities, attended over 500 environmental events, conferences, meetings but also contributed in helping to communicate and shaping government policy in relation to promoting access to the environment for minority communities. For example, SEM played a big role in discussions around Green Social Prescribing which is of relevance to the health and wellbeing of minorities.

As Kate Ashbrook, the Patron of SEM said in her speech, “We need SEM in every city in the UK”. She noted that the time for talking about inclusion and diversity in nature was over, it is now about action, a movement that can bring about such transformation to enable those marginalised to have access to green spaces and national parks.

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Andrew Sangar who opened the anniversary celebration indicated that to see so many people at the anniversary is a testimony that SEM is doing wonderful things to transform lives of people in the communities of Sheffield. He praised SEM for all its hard work over the 10 years saying Sheffield as the greenest city should be leading the way in promoting its high environmental standards and urges SEM to continue its good work.

A video by SEM’s other Patron Dame Joanna Lumley which was shown to the community participants at the anniversary can be viewed in this report below.

The Chair of SEM, Mahmood Hussainsaid that it was a great honour and privilege, as Chairman of the Sheffield Environmental Movement, to welcome you all as we celebrate an incredible milestone – our 10th Anniversary. He noted that the anniversary was not just about looking back over the last ten years.

It is about celebrating the people, partnerships and shared vision that have brought us here and looking ahead with hope and determination. “Ten years ago, SEM was founded on a simple but powerful belief: that everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, should have the opportunity to connect with, enjoy and help protect our natural environment. That vision continues to inspire everything we do”.

Mr Hussain said, over the past decade, SEM has worked to break down barriers and create opportunities for African, Asian and Minoritised communities to engage with nature, heritage and the environment. Adding, along the way, we have reached out to thousands of people through our educational programmes, environmental workshops, and educational day activities. Weekend residentials and outdoor learning experiences. For many participants, these were more than just activities. They were life-changing experiences. Some visited the Peak District National Park, nature reserves, heritage sites or farms for the very first time. Others discovered new confidence, improved their health and wellbeing, developed leadership skills, or found new pathways into the countryside.

The Chair went on to explain that these achievements remind us that protecting our environment is not only about conserving landscapes – it is about empowering people, strengthening communities and ensuring that everyone has a place in shaping a sustainable future. He said, “what makes SEM unique is our commitment to listening to communities, valuing lived experience and building genuine partnerships. We know that lasting environmental change can only happen when inclusion, equality and social justice are at the heart of our work”.

Mr Hussain said, SEM’s success has only been possible because of the incredible collaboration we have enjoyed over the past ten years. We are proud to have worked alongside a wide range of community organisations, the Sheffield College, universities, environmental and heritage organisations and many dedicated partners who have shared our ambition to make nature accessible to everyone.

I would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to all our funders and in particular to Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Your belief in our vision has enabled SEM to grow from an ambitious idea into an organisation that is making a real and lasting difference. Your investment has not simply funded SEM, it has created opportunities, improved wellbeing, inspired future environmental leaders and helped build stronger, more connected communities.

Thank you for your trust, your generosity and your continued commitment to our mission. We are truly grateful for your support. As we celebrate this milestone, we also recognise that our journey is far from over. The challenges facing our environment and our communities remain significant. Climate change, biodiversity loss and inequalities continue to affect us all. However, the last ten years have shown us that when people come together with a shared purpose, positive change is possible. Our ambition for the next decade is to continue creating opportunities for communities that have been underrepresented, to inspire more young people to become environmental leaders and to ensure that everyone feels welcomed, valued and empowered to play their part in protecting our natural world. This afternoon is not just a celebration of what we have achieved together, but it is also a reminder that the best is yet to come.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you to every person and organisation that has been part of this remarkable journey. Your encouragement, partnership and belief in SEM have made these last ten years possible. Let us continue to work together to build a future where nature belongs to everyone, where every community has a voice, and where the next generation inherits not only a healthier environment but a fairer and more inclusive society. Congratulations to Sheffield Environmental Movement on ten remarkable years.

Joanna Lumbley Patron SEM 2026

From 22 June to 29 June 2026, Roshni will be participating in the Big Give Campaign to raise funds for our Counselling Service, which provides vital emotional and mental health support to women who have experienced significant trauma, including domestic abuse, sexual abuse, forced marriage, honour-based violence, and other forms of gender-based violence.

Over the past year, our Bilingual Counselling Service has supported 55 women, with 21 women currently engaged in counselling sessions. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, we have had to close our waiting list over the last three months despite increasing demand for support.

Through this campaign, we hope to raise sufficient funds to reopen the waiting list and continue providing life-changing counselling support to vulnerable women over the next six months.

During the campaign, every donation made through the Big Give platform will be matched, meaning that each contribution will have twice the impact in helping women access the support they need.

Empowering Ethnic Minorities’ voices in National Parks residentials ends at Peak District National Park

As part of efforts to understand how people from minoritised communities can contribute ideas to help to re-imagine the future trajectory of English national parks, SEM successfully organised and delivered four residential weekends from May – June 2026 at the Hollowford Educational Centre, Peak District National Park and, one other residential weekend at the Sil, Northumberland National Park, October 2025.

In total, 121 participants, both young and old were involved, with participants sharing experiences about national parks and why they think these spaces are important to them for psychological, emotional, mental and, physical wellbeing, but also, as spaces to learn about the cultural history of the English landscape.

Dr Maxwell Ayamba BEM, SEM’s CEO explained that funding from Awards for All enabled SEM to successfully organise and deliver the residential weekends, capturing very important data. He noted that, created through the National Parks and Access to Countryside Act 1949 as part of the post-war reforms, national parks continue to serve as spaces for people to visit for leisure and recreation, but above all, offering therapeutic health benefits where people from cities such as Sheffield had the right to access nature.

However, as Dr Ayamba noted, although a national park such as the Peak District National Park is only about 15 minutes away from Sheffield by public transport, it remains out of reach for some people, attributing this to a number of factors.

He added that SEM was also delighted to partner with the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) on its National Parks Reimagined project which aims to support the CNP’s ambition to enable landscape recovery, involving a diverse range of people in National Parks, create intergenerational leadership that would drive radical transformation in ambition, action, management and policy. Dr Ayamba quoted the CNP as saying, “National Parks Reimagined will bring together citizens and stakeholders to create, negotiate and build new pathways to the future, informing changes in policy to secure landscape transformation where people and nature can thrive”.​

Participants Reponses

Jamia Masjid Ghousua Girls Group talk about their residential experiences